roughadjective
uk/rʌf/us/rʌf/rough adjective (NOT EVEN)
B1 not even or smooth, often because of being in bad condition:
B1 If a surface such as paper or skin is rough, it does not feel smooth when you touch it:
Rough ground is ground that is not used for any particular purpose, is not even, and is full of wild plants.
More examples
- Driving on those rough roads has really done for my car.
- The horse and cart jogged down the rough track towards the farm.
- My tyres took quite a punishing on the rough terrain.
- The fabric had a rough texture.
- He had workman's hands that were rough and covered with calluses.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Rough, irregular and uneven
- abrasion
- abrasive
- bumpy
- chapped
- coarse
- consistency
- gnarl
- irregular
- jaggy
- jerky
- knobbly
- leathery
- lumpy
- nodule
- rough-hewn
- rutted
- serrated
- streaky
- textured
- textured
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
rough adjective (NOT EXACT)
B1 [ before noun ] not exact or detailed:
More examples
- This is only a rough draft - the finished article will have pictures as well.
- I can give you a rough estimate of how much it will cost.
- I never follow recipes exactly when I cook - I just use them as rough guides.
- Could you give me a rough approximation of how many people will be coming?
- You can get a rough idea of the size of the room by pacing it out.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Approximate
- (a) sort of idiom
- -ish
- about
- approx
- approximate
- approximately
- effect
- in the vicinity of idiom
- loosely
- maybe
- more
- more or less idiom
- round
- rule
- sense
- something
- something
- something like 96 percent, half, etc. idiom
- somewhere
- sort
See more results »
rough adjective (POOR QUALITY)
used to describe an alcoholic drink, especially wine, that tastes cheap and often strong
not made in a careful or expensive way:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Wines & winemaking
- -bodied
- amontillado
- Bordeaux
- breathe
- brut
- bubbly
- fruity
- lay
- magnum
- Marsala
- martini
- nose
- oaky
- oenophile
- red wine
- vintner
- viticulture
- white wine
- wine
- wine cooler
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
rough adjective (SOUND)
A rough voice or sound is hard and loud.
If a machine sounds rough, it is making a noise because it is in bad condition.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Describing qualities of the human voice
- aloud
- break
- breathy
- dulcet
- gruff
- guttural
- high-pitched
- honeyed
- lilting
- soft-spoken
- stentorian
- strangled
- strangulated
- throaty
- tone
- toned
- toneless
- vocal
- voice
- voiced
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
rough adjective (VIOLENT)
B2 dangerous or violent:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Violent or aggressive
- aggressive
- aggro
- all hell breaks loose idiom
- atrocious
- atrocity
- confrontation
- flex your muscles idiom
- forced
- forcible
- frenzied
- gay-basher
- hostile
- road rage
- running with blood idiom
- sabre-rattling
- savage
- savagely
- savagery
- steep
- steeped in blood idiom
See more results »
rough adjective (STORMY)
B2 (of the weather or the sea) having strong winds or big waves:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Describing bad weather
- bleak
- break
- depression
- dreich
- fickle
- grey
- hard
- hostile
- inclement
- murk
- murky
- overcast
- sock
- sock sth/sb in (with sb)
- sunless
- treacherous
- trough
- unseasonable
- unseasonal
- wuthering
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
rough adjective (DIFFICULT)
B2 difficult or unpleasant:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Serious and unpleasant
- abominable
- abysmal
- apocalyptic
- appalling
- awfully
- belief
- ghastly
- grim
- grisly
- grotesque
- gruesome
- hate
- noxious
- repulsive
- revolting
- rotten
- shitty
- shocking
- stinking
- wretched
See more results »
rough adjective (ILL)
[ after verb ] UK ill:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Not fit & healthy
- bedridden
- critical list
- crook
- danger list
- dehydrated
- emaciated
- far gone
- frailty
- groggy
- ill
- infirmity
- insufficiency
- knock
- malaise
- not agree with sb idiom
- off-colour
- organic
- relapse
- shadow
- starved
See more results »
Idiom(s)
roughverb
uk/rʌf/us/rʌf/to live temporarily in basic and uncomfortable conditions:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Homelessness
- bag lady
- be of/have no fixed abode/address idiom
- derelict
- doss
- dosser
- down-and-out
- hobo
- homeless
- hostel
- housing benefit
- mendicant
- on the streets idiom
- sleep
- soup kitchen
- street
- street people
- tramp
- traveller
- vagabond
- vagrant
See more results »
Phrasal verb(s)
roughnoun
uk/rʌf/us/rʌf/rough noun (DRAWING)
[ C ] a first quick drawing of something
simple and without details:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Pictures
- -scape
- abstract
- aquatint
- balloon
- canvas
- caricature
- cartoon
- graphics
- halo
- identikit
- illustration
- infographic
- pencil
- pixelated
- poster
- seascape
- self-portrait
- shade
- sketch
- speech bubble
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
rough noun (VIOLENT PERSON)
[ C ] a violent person:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Unpleasant people in general
- a dog in the manger idiom
- a nasty piece of work idiom
- a tough/hard nut idiom
- a wolf in sheep's clothing idiom
- bad lot
- intruder
- know-all
- know-it-all
- leech
- make sb's skin crawl idiom
- roadman
- rotter
- runt
- sadist
- scum
- twat
- undesirables
- vermin
- villain
- villain of the piece idiom
See more results »
rough noun (IN GOLF)
in golf, an area of ground with long grass:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Golf
- a hole in one idiom
- birdie
- bunker
- chip
- drive
- fairway
- golf course
- green
- hole
- iron
- match play
- mini-golf
- miniature golf
- par
- putt
- putting green
- sand trap
- tee (sth) up
- tee off
- yip
See more results »
Idiom(s)
roughadverb
uk/rʌf/us/rʌf/rough adverb (VIOLENTLY)
forcefully or violently:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Violent or aggressive
- aggressive
- aggro
- all hell breaks loose idiom
- atrocious
- atrocity
- confrontation
- flex your muscles idiom
- forced
- forcible
- frenzied
- gay-basher
- hostile
- road rage
- running with blood idiom
- sabre-rattling
- savage
- savagely
- savagery
- steep
- steeped in blood idiom
See more results »
rough adverb (OUTSIDE)
to live outside not in a house, and sleep on the ground:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Homelessness
- bag lady
- be of/have no fixed abode/address idiom
- derelict
- doss
- dosser
- down-and-out
- hobo
- homeless
- hostel
- housing benefit
- mendicant
- on the streets idiom
- sleep
- soup kitchen
- street
- street people
- tramp
- traveller
- vagabond
- vagrant
See more results »